Ratchet spinner handle



June 29, 1965 KYozo AKAWASHIMA 3,191,466 s RATGHET SPINNER HANDLE FiledOct. 9, 1962 Krozo /qwAsHmA INVE/vrog @Y M United States Patent ORATCHET SPINNER HANDLE Kyozo Kawashima, 43 Higashi 1-chome, Hamaguchi,Sumiyoshiku, Osaka, Iapan Filed Get. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 229,437 Claimspriority, application Japan, June 21, 1962, 37/32,759 2 Claims. (Cl.81--62) The present invention relates to a reversible ratchet device,and more particularly to a ratchet device in which the pawl is withinthe periphery of the ratchet.

In the usual reversible ratchet device, for example for use with asocket wrench, or the like, the pawl which engages the ratchet liesoutside the periphery of the ratchet, the ratchet having external teethwhich are engaged by the pawl for driving the socket, wrench or thelike. The overall diameter of the ratchet device is there- ,fore quitelarge compared to the rest of the tool, and it is often inconvenient ifnot impossible to use it in confined spaces. Moreover, the size causesthe weight to increase, and the cost of the materials necessary to makeit and the cost of fabricating those materials is unduly large.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ratchet device foruse with a socket wrench, or the like, which overcomes these drawbacks.

The ratchet device according to the present invention comprises a headportion having a cavity therein in which the pawl of the ratchet deviceis pivotally mounted, and the ratchet surrounds the head portion and hasthe ratchet teeth projecting inwardly toward the pawl. The pawl willthen engage the teeth of the ratchet when the head portion is turned inone direction, and will be pivoted into the cavity when the head isturned in the opposite direction. In order to makethe pawl reversible,it has pivots thereon mounted in grooves in the head portion along whichthe pivots can slide for changing the location of the pivotal connectionof the pawl with the head portion. A spring loaded locking ball ismounted in the head portion to urge the pawl into engagement with theratchet teeth.

The invention will be more fully understood from the followingspecilication and claims, taken together with the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIG. l is a side elevation view of the ratchet device of the presentinvention as mounted on a socket wrench handle and with a socketthereon, the view being partly in section;

FIG. 2 is a front view, partly in section, of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the parts in a differentposition;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the socket of FIG. 1 with the top removed;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the socket of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an adapter which can be substituted forthe socket of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevation View of the pawl of the ratchet device ofFIG. 1.

Referring to the gures, there is shown a ratchet dcvice comprising ahead portion 2 having a pin 3 through the top thereof which in turn hasmeans thereon for turning the head portion, here shown as a handle 1pivotally mounted thereon. A crossbar 16 can be inserted through a holeat the end of the handle 1 for turning the handle when the handle is inalignment with the head portion, or the handle can be pivoted to thedotted line position shown in FIG. 2 in which case a force exertedlaterally on the handle will exert a torque on the head portion. A topcover portion 5 is integral with the head portion 2 and has a reduceddiameter portion 17 which `lits into the top 18 of a hollow body portion4 so that the body portion 4 can rotate relative to the head portion. Inthis embodiment the body portion is shown as a socket 21 for engaging anut or the like. On the inside surface of the body portion 4 are ratchetteeth 14 which project into the hollow interior of the body portion 4.

Depending from the cover portion 5 and integral with it and the headportion 2 is a central head portion 6 having a cavity 8 openinglaterally of the central head portion, said cavity being elongated in adirection transverse to the direction in which it opens out of saidcentral portion. Opposed grooves 10 and 10' are formed in the centralhead portion 6 and open into the cavity 8 in the top and bottom thereof.l

Pivotally mounted in the cavity 8 is a pawl 7 having a base 13 withprojections 9 and 9 on the top and bottom thereof, the projections 9 and9' being slidably and pivotally mounted in the grooves 10 and 10'respectively. The free end of the pawl 7 is shaped for engagementbetweenvthe teeth 14 of the ratchet, .and the end within the cavity isrounded. Positioned in a bore extending transversely of the central headportion 6, which bore opens into the `cavity 8, is a locking ball 12which is Yurgedtoward the cavity 8 by a spring 11 inthe bore so asnormally to pivot the pawl 7 out of the cavity.

Around the 4bottom of the hollow interior of the body member 4 is agroove 20 into which a spring loaded locking ball 19 in the bottom ofthe central head portion 19 projects for locking the head portion intothe body portion while allowing relative rotational movement betweenthese parts.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the body portion has a lower part 23 fromwhich extends a polygonal projection 22 having a spring loaded lockingball therein. A holder 24 having a polygonal recess therein can besnapped onto the projection 22, the holder here being shown as having ascrewdriver 25 thereon. Other types of tools can of course be positionedon the holder 24.

In operation, with the pawl 7 positioned in the position shown in FIG. 3and urged outwardly of the cavity by the ball 12, when the handle 1 ismoved so as to turn the head portion 2 in the direction of the arrow,the pawl 7 will engage the ratchet teeth 14 on the inside of the bodyportion 4 and rotate the body portion in the same direction. However,when the handle 1 is turned so as to rotate the head portion in adirection opposite to the arrow, the pawl 7 will be pivoted into thecavity 8 and the body portion 4 will not be rotated.

If it is desired to drive the body portion 4 in the opposite direction,the pawl is moved to the position shown in FIG. 4. This is done bymoving the pawl 7 so that the base 13 and the projections 9 and 9 slidealong the grooves 10 and 10 to the other end of the cavity 8. Duringthis movement, the rounded end of the pawl 7 will depress the ball 12 topermit the pawl to pass. When the pawl reaches the end of the groove thelocking ball 12 will prevent lateral movement during the normal pivotingof the pawl into and out of the cavity 8, as well as urg-v ing the pawl7 to pivot out of the cavity.

There has thus been provided a construction in which the usual ratchetaction is obtained, but which construction is smaller than theconventional device, due to the fact that the pawl is within the bodyhaving the ratchet teeth thereon. Consequently, the device of thepresent invention can be used in much smaller spaces than theconventional devices, is lighter in Weight, the amount of materialneeded to make the device is less so that the cost is reduced both fromthe standpoint of the material needed and the amount of work necessaryto make it.

Since the pawl is constantly urged outwardly by the ball 12 it willengage tightly and firmly with the teeth 14 of the ratchet, and theturning movement of the head portion will be transmitted surely andpositively to the body portion. There is little friction between thepawl and the ratchet teeth during the reverse movement of the headportion, so that the device will be long lasting. Because the base ofthe pawl is rrnly engaged in the cavity S, the torque exerted on thehead portion is surely and positively transmitted to the body portion,and at the same time large forces can be exerted through the ratchetdevice despite its small size.

Because of the small size of the ratchet device, it is not necessary toprovide a large number of separate wrenches in a set of wrenches inorder to make it possible to use the wrenches of the set in smallspaces, and consequently Ythe cost as Well as the weight of the set ofwrenches can ,be greatly reduced.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understoodfrom the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changesmay be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the partswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention orsacricing its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described andillustrated in the drawing being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A ratchet device comprising a head portion adapted to have a turningmeans attached thereto, said head portion having a depending centralportion with a laterally opening cavity therein, said cavity beingelongated transversely of the direction in which it opens from saidcentral portion and said central portion having opposed adem-ea upperand lower grooves opening into said cavity and extending in thedirection of elongation of said cavity, a hollow body portion aroundsaid head portion having inwardly projecting ratchet teeth thereon, saidbody portion being adapted to have a tool thereon, and a pawl having abase positioned within said cavity and having upper and lowerprojections thereon projecting into said grooves pivotally mounting thepawl in the cavity, said pawl being engageable with said ratchet teeth,said pawl being resiliently urged to pivot outwardly from said cavityand said projections being slidably mounted in said grooves for slidingfrom one to the other ends thereof, said pawl pivoting outwardly in onerotational direction when it is at one end of said grooves and pivotingoutwardly in the other rotational direction when it is at the other endof said grooves.

2. A ratchet device as claimed in claim 1 in which said central portionhas a spring loaded ball therein projecting into said cavity andengaging said pawl for urging Isaid pawl to pivot out of said cavity.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 893,097 7/08Reams 81-63 1,883,618 10/32 Dodge 81-63 2,671,367 3/54 Modin 145-76 2,735,324 2/ 56 Goldwater et al. 81-60 FOREIGN PATENTS v 9,733 4/ 13 GreatBritain. 7 07,596 4/54 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

1. A RATCHET DEVICE COMPRISING A HEAD PORTION ADAPTED TO HAVE A TURNINGMEANS ATTACHED THERETO, SAID PORTION HAVING A DEPENDING CENTRAL PORTIONWITH A LATERALLY OPENING CAVITY THEREIN, SAID CAVITY BEING ELONGATEDTRANSVERSELY OF THE DIRECTION IN WHICH IT OPENS FROM SAID CENTRALPORTION AND SAID CENTRAL PORTION HAVING OPPOSED UPPER AND LOWER GROOVESOPENING INTO SAID CAVITY AND EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF ELONGATION OFSAID CAVITY, A HOLLOW BODY PORTION AROUND SAID HEAD PORTION HAVINGINWARDLY PROJECTING RATCHET TEETH THEREON, SAID BODY PORTION BEINGADAPTED TO HAVE A TOOL THEREON, AND A PAWL HAVING A BASE POSITIONEDWITHIN SAID CAVITY AND HAVING UPPER AND LOWER PROJECTIONS THEREONPROJECTING INTO SAID GROOVES PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE PAWL IN THE CAVITY,SAID PAWL BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID RATCHET TEETH, SAID PAWL BEINGRESILIENTLY URGED TO PIVOT OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CAVITY AND SAIDPROJECTIONS BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID GROOVES FOR SLIDING FROM ONETO THE OTHER ENDS THEREOF, SAID PAWL PIVOTING OUTWARDLY IN ONEROTATIONAL DIRECTION WHEN IT IS AT ONE END OF SAID GROOVES AND PIVOTINGOUTWARDLY IN THE OTHER ROTATIONAL DIRECTION WHEN IT IS AT THE OTHER ENDOF SAID GROOVES.